To everyone who is struggling on Fathers' Day.

To everyone for whom today is not a cause for celebration.

To the people who see photos of other people’s pictures in their Facebook feeds and feel a tightening in their stomachs, rather than a burst of joy.

To the mothers who are raising their children alone, working every day to be both mother and father and to make sure their children want for nothing.

To the sons and daughters who have lost their fathers, who miss them deeply and would give anything to celebrate today with the man who gave them so much.

To the men who are missing their children today, who are away and would love to be holding their children close.

To the sons and daughters whose fathers were never true parents to them, who hurt them, who abandoned them and who let them down.

To the men who would love to be fathers, but who haven’t been able to.

To the fathers who have lost their children and who can’t bear any reminder of the light that has disappeared from their lives.

To the sons and daughters who are living far from their fathers today.

To the couples who are desperate to have children, who see other families celebrating today and feel an absence that they are afraid to express.

To the lesbian couples whose all-consuming love for their children means that they miss out on nothing.

To the step-fathers, uncles and brothers who have welcomed children into their lives and loved and guided them.

To the gay men and the transmen who dream of celebrating today as a parent, but who face so much social, financial and legal discrimination on that journey.

To everyone who has missed a hug, a card, a phone call or kind thought today.

We see you.

We know that you are there. We know that you are in pain.

We are thinking about you today.